Could a daily moisturizer help to lower markers of inflammation and reduce anxiety, panic, PTSD, phobias and social anxiety?

Could using a good quality moisturizer on a daily basis help to lower markers of inflammation (proinflammatory markers) and actually help reduce anxiety, panic, PTSD, phobias, social anxiety and other mental health symptoms, plus other chronic health conditions at the same time? Based on a new pilot study, I’m going out on a limb and saying this may well pan out to be true. And there is certainly no harm in making this a daily self-care routine until further research confirms this, certainly because of the other benefits of using a moisturizer.

Emollients are moisturizers that help keep the skin moist and supple by reducing water loss from the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin.

The study set out to mirror an animal study where skin problems in older/aged mice was tied to elevated markers of inflammation called cytokines. When epidermal function/skin health in the mice was improved, the circulating cytokine levels were reduced:

Changes in epidermal function and levels of three key, age‐related, plasma cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNFα) were measured at baseline and after treatment.

Circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the body, IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNFα, were higher in the older adults before the use of the emollient. After topical use, i.e, using the cream on their skin twice a day for 30 days:

The authors suggest larger clinical trials to confirm this connection between high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chronic inflammatory disorders and to show how improving skin health by moisturizing may prevent chronic inflammatory disorders such as heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

Our skin starts to deteriorate around age 50 with changes to epidermal pH, hydration, and the permeability barrier, which keeps water in and bacteria and other potential pathogens out. A loss of moisture and breaks in the permeability barrier cause the skin to release inflammatory cytokines. Ordinarily, these cytokines help to repair defects in the barrier, but in aging skin the barrier can’t be fixed as easily, so the inflammatory signals continue to be released, eventually reaching the blood.

This article and the study authors are suggesting this is an issue to be addressed with older adults and with respect to the above chronic diseases, but there is enough research on the role of inflammation on anxiety and other mental health conditions at any age, that this study had me perk up and take notice. Also, if you’re young and not moisturizing or living in a dry climate or have other factors contributing to inflammation (more on that below), could this be happening too? I believe it’s highly likely.

The role of inflammation on anxiety and other mental health conditions

The ongoing inflammation affects neurotransmitters and makes antidepressants less effective:

Chronic exposure to increased inflammation is thought to drive changes in neurotransmitters and neurocircuits that lead to depressive symptoms and that may also interfere with or circumvent the efficacy of antidepressants.

Many approaches for reducing cytokines and inflammation

I do want to address the one statement in the emollient study where they say that “approaches that reduce circulating cytokines are not yet available.” There are, in fact, many approaches for reducing cytokines and inflammation.

In one study vitamin D supplementation improved mood, reduced anxiety and lowered markers of inflammation (CRP and IL-10) in female diabetics who had low levels of vitamin D.

In another study looking at anxiety in women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), probiotics and selenium improved their mental health and hormonal profiles, lowered markers of inflammation and reduced oxidative stress.

Of course, these factors may also play a role in anxiety and using a functional medicine and nutritional approach, you can reduce the inflammation and eliminate the anxiety/depression. It’s a matter of finding your root cause/s and addressing them.

Research is also finding that GABA, one of the main calming neurotransmitters, may also have a possible role in “neuroimmune interaction, being involved in the modulation of immune cell activity associated with different systemic and enteric inflammatory conditions.”

Low zinc and low vitamin B6 are also factors in inflammation, and addressing low levels reduces inflammation and eases anxiety such as pyroluria (a social anxiety condition) and low GABA and low serotonin anxiety because zinc and vitamin B6 are co-factors for making these brain chemicals.

The benefit of touch and a boost of oxytocin

I’d like to mention other benefits of using a daily moisturizer – the benefits of touch, massage and a boost of oxytocin:

Hand massage and therapeutic touch has been shown to decrease anxiety and make the elderly in a nursing home feel more comforted. If you’re a caregiver to a parent, make daily moisturizing part of your routine.

Touch increases the release of oxytocin improving well-being and may also have “applications in neuropsychiatric disorders especially those characterized by persistent fear, repetitive behavior, reduced trust and avoidance of social interactions.”

Adding skin moisturizing to your daily self-care routine

I feel very comfortable saying you now we have a new tool – daily skin moisturizing – to add to your toolbox to help lower your markers of inflammation and reduce anxiety, panic, PTSD, phobias and social anxiety. Let’s use everything at your disposal to heal and feel your absolute best.

It’s something most women (and a few men) are already doing, and this information can give you more reason to continue to do it.

It’s a lovely self-care routine if you’ve not been doing it for some time or have never regularly used a moisturizer. This information can be an incentive to add it back to your daily routine or start doing it.

The biggest problem I see with moisturizing is using toxic chemicals and less than ideal creams on your skin so I reached out to colleagues and my community on Facebook to get input on their favorite home-made and store-bought moisturizers:

Stay tuned for a new blog on favorite good quality store-bought moisturizers

In the meanwhile, feel free to share your favorites and what your moisturizing self-care routine is like, and if you get regular massages and use moisturizing creams with love ones. Simply comment below.

I’d suspect just Jojoba oil in it’s own would work as well. It’s what I use as a mosturizer

It’s only a pilot study and it looks like there was no actual intervention in the control group – e.g. massage, so the actual ‘massage’ or ‘touch’ component of the treatment my also be part of the effect

No wonder I always feel amazing after my Joovv red/infrared light therapy session and applying full body moisturiser. Your lovely blog post would explain it! I make my own blend using this product linked below to which I add a blend of cardamom, vetiver and neroli essential oil, pure bliss:

Thanks for your informative input Trudy. I wrote to Neals Yard Remedies and this was their response:

Dear Drew

I can confirm that the product is gluten free.

With regards your question about our oils, I have found the following information:

The Sunflower used in the majority of our products is the “standard” high Oleic acid type (around 70% Oleic acid content) The Sunflower used in our baby products (since the 2016 reformulation) is a high Linoleic version (approx. 50 – 70% Linoleic acid content) Both oils are cold pressed, organic certified, no solvents involved in their manufacture.

Most of our oils are cold pressed, but not all. Not all oils can be viably produced using this process, & other methods, such as CO2 extraction & expeller pressing are also used.
Our non-organic Grapeseed & Wheatgerm oils are expeller pressed (pressed under high pressure). Chemical solvents are not used in the production of any of our vegetable oils.

The product is soil association certified as organic and as such cannot be subjected to pesticides.

Drew
What a great response from the company. As I mentioned I really love it when information like this is listed on the FAQs or ingredients page on the company site but when it is isn’t, contacting them directly is the next best thing. They didn’t say anything about soy allergies or potassium sorbate?

Just like with diet and nutrients there is no one-size fits all so the important thing is finding something that works for your skin and it seems you have.

Neal’s Yard Remedies is great, I source a lot of products from them and essential oils too. Their Focus, Meditation, Organic Defense and Woman’s Balance EO blends are lovely. I also get all my herbal teas from them, i.e.:

http://www.bloomremedies.co.uk in Cornwall is also a firm favourite of mine with gorgeous products and Marie the founder is a gem. Their sleep mist is wonderful for lightly spraying on bed clothes at bed time.

Yes, I thought I was crazy, finding coconut oil drying but no one else mentioning it. As to the previous post re: Richard’s Yard soy oils being organic, I wonder if they are also non-gmo. The organic label doesn’t rule that out.

I would like to know how much of ones body needs to be moisturised., and if it is also necessary to be done twice per day. Such a simple but effective way to help with anxiety. Will be slathering a lot more in the future! I have Sjogren’s so everything is dry, skin, mouth, eyes, hair. I have been trying to keep my face much “moister” and I am sure my wrinkles have lessened. I find rice bran oil is also quite good.

Noelle
In the study it was done twice a day. I’m not sure how much of the body needs to be moisturized but if everything is dry I’d want to moisturize as much as possible. Keep in mind that in this study they didn’t measure anxiety levels. I’m simply extrapolating based on the inflammation connection.

Have you shared your opinion of fragrance in creams and lotions? I follow a dermatologist on YouTube who advises we avoid fragrance. I’m another woman with Sjogren’s and it causes many difficulties for me, so I’m a seeker of the best information I can find and feel comfortable with. Thank you for your endeavors to help people with autoimmune conditions.

Thank you! Right now I am overloaded with creams and lotions and perhaps not all of them are the best for me to use. I use numerous CeraVe products, Eucerin lotion, Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment, Victoria Principal Reclaim creams, Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel-cream, and Kiehl’s. That’s most of them! I need to be more diligent, though.

Great blog and research topic. The simple things are so underestimated! I openly admit I’m a dedicated life-time Ayurvedic student so that makes me bias perhaps. Copious daily application of plain oils and medicated oil (oils infused with herbs generally) have been part of a reccommended balanced daily routine in Ayurveda for several thousand years. It is particularly encouraged in any conditions related to the nervous system! 🙂 Always cool to see Western science highlighting ancient wisdom to make it relevant to more people today. Thanks for sharing . <3

Lauren
Thanks for your kind words and yes sometimes it takes time for Western science to catch up with ancient wisdom! This Ayurvedic practice deserves an entire blog post for those who are not familiar with it.

May I ask what you mean by plain oils? Something like the sesame oil that is typically used?

Yes. Sorry I was not particularly clear 🙂
Sesame, Almond, Coconut, even ghee. I would highly suspect that there were other ones used as well. Having been to an Ayurvedic Hospital once in India that was still very traditional, I was made aware of how many medicines and treatment protocols have been lost or sometimes just don’t make it to N.America and other countries.
It definitely would make an excellent blog Trudy! I”m sure many could be made! 🙂
If you need some reputable Ayurvedic practitioners or physicians and teachers for resources, I certainly could email you the name of a couple in the U.S. and one or two in India.
Thanks for sharing your passion.